Ball furniture-caster



UNITED STATES PiXTENT OFFICE.

B. A. RUSSELL, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

BALL FURNITURE-(EASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,751, dated January 25, 18-59.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, B. A. RUSSELL, of Deep Ilivcr, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Ball-Casters; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same. reference being hadto the annexed drawings, making part of this specificatig" Figure 1, isa vertical section of the" nproved caster applied to a table icy" Fig.2, is a horizontal section of ditto ,ne line 1,1, of Fig. 1. J

Similar letters in the figures refer to our responding parts.

The nature of this invention consists in a. new article of manufactureof casters in lessening the friction of the ball in the easing inclosingthe upper portion of the same, by causing its bearing surfaces to be confined to the surface of a horizontal plate at its upper part, on whichthe weight of the table or other article of furniture to which it isattached, rests, and to the ends or points of a series of horizontal setscrews, or vertical ribs inserted radially in the casing on a line withthe axis of the ball, at its sides.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to de scribe its construction and character.

The metallic casing, or cylinder A, is made to fit over the end of theleg B, of a table or other article of furniture, and secured thereto inthe ordinary manner, and is contracted.

near its lower end so as to form an inclined ridge C. around its innerperiphery, on which a circular plate D, of hardened steel or cast ironbeneath the leg B, rests, and its extreme lower end is provided with asmall rim E. whose inner circular edge is of less diameter than the ballF, so as to prevent the said ball coming out of the lower end of thecasing A, after being inserted therein from the upper part. A series ofradial screws G, are inserted in corresponding openings in the peripheryof the casing A,

innncdiately above the rim E, which screws extend through the casing ona line with the axis of the ball, and are made smooth on their innerends, where they come in contact with the ball, so as to present aslight and smooth surface to the spherical surface f the sides of theball, and therebv confine .ne side hearing or friction occasioned byrolling the article of furniture on the caster over the floor,exclusively to these points, and to a slight central bearing surface onthe under side of the hardened steel or cast iron plate D, against whichthe upper spherical ridge of the ball is in contact. I use the screws G,whcn the casing or cylindcr is made of brass, and when made of castiron, I chill the ribs G, or smooth surface, to prevent wear, or in caseI prefer to insert a chilled cylinder. either with or without the ribs(ir', inside of the lower end of the c vlinder A when made of brass. Bythus confining the ball between these points, whose aggregate bearingsurfaces will be but slight, when compared to the large surface usuallyborne upon by the upper parts and sides of ball casters, the frictionheretofore experienced in moving the article of furniture to which thecaster is attached, will be materially lessened. In the event, moreover,of the ball becoming loose in the socket, thus formed for it. fromconstant wear, the screws can be turned and their ends always adjustedto its sides.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As a new article of manufacture in my innn'oved furniture caster, whencomposed of cylinder or casing A, either with or without. the radial setscrews G. or ribs G, in combination with the plate D, and ball F, whenconstructed arranged and operated in the manner and for the purposes setforth.

B. A. RUSSELL.

Vlitncsses N. A. STARKEY, H. G. LooMIS.

